Working towards our goals and making changes in our life is so important to growing as human beings, and that’s why you need a great toolkit under your belt. Change will be part of the process of reaching your goals and for many, change is never easy. If you would like to learn more about how change works in our lives, you can read our previous blog post Embrace the Process of Change for Good!
After deciding what goals you want to work on this year, keeping the momentum and your motivation is essential. Maybe you have implemented all the strategies that the previous part 1 blog lined out to achieve your goals, but you still are feeling stuck as you give two steps forward and one backwards. Here are a few more ways you can accomplish what you set out to this year:
Focus on Progress––Not Perfection
What you focus on is a key factor in making lasting changes in your life. No matter how ambitious and hardworking you are, if you are only looking at what you are doing wrong or what isn’t working well, you will become so discouraged that you will give up.
Nothing and no one is perfect, and you will never meet the standard you set if that standard is perfection. Instead, start to shift your focus from what isn’t perfect to what is going well. As mentioned previously, tracking your progress can help with this. When you can look back and see how far you’ve come, you will be motivated to keep going.
Do a Little Bit Every Day
It can be easy to procrastinate on our goals when we feel like we need to dedicate a large chunk of time to them, or when they feel so big we don’t even know where to start. But if we can break each goal down into smaller goals that we can work towards every day, it will make all the difference in our progress.
For example, if you have a goal to write a novel, instead of waiting until you have hours of time to sit down and write, see if you can give twenty minutes a day to writing. You may even accomplish more in those twenty minutes than you would with a huge chunk.
A great method is dedicating a certain time of the day each day to working towards your goal. When it is in your schedule you are more likely to follow through on it. It is a form of accountability to yourself.
By taking small steps each day, you will slowly but surely reach your goals. You will create the long-term habits and rhythms that you need to achieve your goals.
Don’t Wait Until You “Feel” Like It
Our feelings can get in the way of achieving our goals if we let them. Feelings are fleeting–they come and go. Some days you will be excited about your dream or goal, and other days you won’t feel anything at all. That is normal.
It can be tempting to only work towards your goals when the mood strikes, but this is dangerous and will only set you up for failure. Artists who only work when they feel inspired don’t work much at all. The same is true for us when working towards our goals.
Of course there will be days when we are ill or unable to work on our goals—and that’s okay. Give yourself a break. Just don’t make excuses for yourself based on your feelings. Only you can discern when you are making excuses for yourself or when you truly need to rest.
Adapt Your Goals As Needed
As you work towards your goals, you may find that they need to be adjusted or changed based on the progress you are making or your desires and vision of the future. That is perfectly normal and a great opportunity to be flexible. There is no point in sticking with a certain goal just because that’s what you originally set out to do—that’s just rigid stubbornness.
Dreams and desires change and become refined over time, so it would make sense that your goals would too, since they are directly linked. Be open to new ideas and change your course if necessary. There is no shame in that if you truly feel pulled in another direction.
However, if you are constantly changing your goals and vision for the future, it may be time to sit down and reassess what you really want in life. It’s okay if you’re not sure yet––it may be a season of waiting and prayer. Ask the Lord to help you discern His will for your life, taking into account your skills and passions. He will reveal to you the way to go.
We are also here to help you eliminate any obstacles whether it is grief and lost, anxiety, depression, trauma, etc. We are cheering for you and want to help you flourish!